Neighborhood assessment
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
Park under lights and do not leave anything visible in your car when staying at hotels.
Thieves target parking lots at nice hotels too.
one person who lived it
Focus on living in a bad home in a great neighborhood over a great home in a bad neighborhood.
Resale values are always higher in better neighborhoods; minor fixes dramatically increase value, whereas a good home in a bad area will never see a market increase.
one person who lived it
Keep expensive purchases off porch deliveries in high-crime areas.
Someone will steal packages from your front porch.
one person who lived it
Learn police radio codes to understand what is happening on scanner broadcasts.
Otherwise you won't know what is going on.
one person who lived it
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Do not rely solely on visual inspection of an area.
You cannot tell everything by looking around.
one person who lived it
Call the local police non-emergency line to ask about call history and response frequency in the area.
One person used this information to decide against moving to a specific place.
one person who lived it
Call the local police department to ask about the neighborhood and the types of calls they receive, as they provide an unbiased assessment compared to sellers or landlords.
Police provide an unbiased assessment unlike people trying to sell or rent property.
one person who lived it